The Gardening Community

This is where we discover what our customers are doing - and wearing - in their gardens.

Gardeners can play a part in Citizen Science

One of the surprising things to pop up in the Genus garden lately was a bright shiny green beetle that was all over the sage and lavender bushes.  Curiosity peaked,...
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June and July celebrate the rose

It’s the end of June and we are getting excited about Hampton Court Flower Show which starts soon.  One of the specialties of the show is the grand display of roses as...
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Cotswold strawberries ready for Wimbledon 2019

It’s just a few days to go before Wimbledon 2019 starts. It’s my only must-see sporting event of the year. The strawberries in the Genus garden have been in full...
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Right royal gardeners

In helping to design and plant out the Back To Nature garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show, the Duchess of Cambridge is continuing a long tradition of gardening amongst...
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Mother's Day flowers

There are many traditional Mother's Day flowers depending on where in the world you look. The British tradition of “Mothering Sunday” started in the sixteenth century and provided an opportunity...
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Gardening and climate change

The recent discussions on climate change in Poland, the Beast from the East followed by a summer drought, as well as the long line of record breaking years including the...
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Brightly coloured flowers affect mood

The concept of colours influencing our moods has been around for a long time. If you are interested in learning about popular interpretations of different colours with a view to...
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Gardening by moonlight

Gardeners will know that gardening is not just a physical activity, it encompasses a philosophy of life, an approach to growing and a favoured set of techniques that vary from...
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Brexit: Lots for gardeners to think about

The country has spoken and it’s out of the EU we will come. There will now be a period of some uncertainty as we come to terms with the new reality and begin the process of untangling ourselves from a host...
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Inspirational gardeners: Vita Sackville-West

Vita Sackville-West has many claims to fame. She was an accomplished writer and poet, circulated amongst the Bloomsbury Group attributed with modernising British social attitudes during the inter war years,...
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Do gardens affect house prices?

We’re back after the excitement of Chelsea. The importance and popularity of gardens in Britain was of course really made obvious at the show. The range of items for gardens...
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Why gardening makes us happy

Time and again, surveys and academic studies prove what we’ve long suspected: gardening really does make us happy.A recent poll of 1,500 UK adults revealed that 80% of people who...
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Easter gardening: Good Friday spuds, new clothes and Easter bonnets

Now that the long Easter weekend is nearly here, there should be plenty of time to get out into the garden as well as enjoying eggs, buns and rabbits with...
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Reasons to smile about growing your own herbs

Herbs are a versatile ingredient for cooking, but they also have many therapeutic benefits, and can be used in a variety of health and beauty products. Here are some reasons...
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Claudia de Yong

Claudia de Yong is a garden designer with over fifteen years experience creating wonderful gardens for her clients. She has also won medals eight times at Hampton Court and numerous...
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Why gardening is better than the gym

Gardening is not only good for your soul, it's also a great way to burn off calories in the winter months. For some people, a spot of gardening is their...
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Easter gardening and 10,000 eggs

It’s Easter! This is traditionally the busiest period for gardening businesses. A spell of good weather at Easter brings gardeners with all kinds of interests and all kinds of skills...
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National Flowers of the UK

Each member country of the United Kingdom has its own national flower. Here is a brief introduction to each: England – the Rose The rose has represented England since the 1400s...
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Sending Flowers to Your Man

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us and thoughts are turning to gifts for our loved one. Flowers are always a popular choice, and the relationship between flowers and love goes...
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Last minute gifts for gardeners: Christmas rush

Don’t panic! It’s the week before Christmas and the atmosphere is getting hectic. For many of us the thought that we need to find something special for that significant somebody...
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Getting the garden ready for autumn - the lavender pruning debate

This week we went along to the Bibury Gardening Club, which meets once a month, and is always a great place to socialise with other keen gardeners as well as...
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